Wow Stuff boss reassures trade over Dave stock

Dave The Funky Shoulder Monkey launched at Hamleys last Friday, and in less than a week, demand is already outstripping supply.

To cope with the volume of orders, 450,000 units are on their way to the UK, which will meet around 70 per cent of demand.

Wow Stuff managing director, Richard North, said: “The response thus far has been amazing - we’ve sold out of every Dave we can make and whilst that means there will be 200,000 on the way by sea freight over the next eight weeks.

"Our two factories can only produce a further 250,000 between now and Christmas, which will only service about 70 per cent of demand, so we are trying everything to get a third factory up and running to meet demand.”

Dave the Funky Shoulder Monkey is a robotic monkey equipped with micro-electronic motors that allow him to move, interact and react to people around him.

It has over 30 different moves, gestures and sound effects, including a high five, a handshake, a bored yawn, and can laugh, cry and also fart. This means he can complete over 3,000 sequences.

The plush is operated using a wireless remote control, designed to be hidden inside a pocket whilst he sits on the shoulder using the support attachment.